confuse

verb

kən-ˈfyüz How to pronounce confuse (audio)
Definition of confusenext
1
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to complicate
to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mistake
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confuse Symptoms of lung cancer can include coughing, shortness of breath, overwhelming fatigue and pain in the back, chest or shoulder, which could be confused for other ailments. — Estelamari Rodriguez, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 The family said they've been shocked and confused ever since. — Liz Crawford, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 The report found officers confused about when to record searches and detainee transport, and one ICE office had not begun using its cameras despite training. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Not to be confused with the football the Chargers play in that same stadium. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
  1. bewilder
  2. complicate
  3. mistake
  4. embarrass
  5. disrupt
  6. perplex
  7. blur
  8. fluster
Verb
  • Many Eagles players were concerned and bewildered by the development.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Latif is conflicted by his double life, bewildered by his doubling of parental responsibilities, constantly trying to think two moves ahead yet always ending up three steps behind.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewilder
Verb
  • Avoiding it in the first place makes far more sense, even if the K3's additional hardware and energy requirements complicate the question of its overall environmental footprint.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Improved resilience to electronic warfare could further complicate efforts to disrupt these systems.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of complicate
Verb
  • Those symptoms were consistent with acrylamide exposure, Suyama said, adding these could easily be mistaken for a neurodegenerative disease.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Neither algorithms nor their operators should mistake the limits of an existing explanation for the limits of reality.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of mistake
Verb
  • Chicago embarrassed Philadelphia, while the Eagles squandered a late lead against the Rams before suffering an improbable loss to the Jaguars in London.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Longhorns’ offense scored 17 points against a Florida defense that Missouri and South Carolina embarrassed.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrass
Verb
  • The integration could help American troops operate uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) when adversaries attempt to disrupt battlefield communications.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • At the same time, a traffic signal at Hazel Avenue and Folsom Boulevard was flashing in all directions, disrupting train signals at three additional intersections, Selenis said.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • At Telluride, Fielder, who had initially planned to stay behind the scenes, admitted he was still perplexed by the couple’s openness.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • They were perplexed at first, flummoxed, but pleasant, and unfortunately for them, already long gone from the airport.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of perplex
Verb
  • Scientists have been able to measure quantum effects in larger and more complex systems and over great distances, blurring the line once thought to separate the scale of observer and observed.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The distinction between entertainment platforms and traditional media is becoming increasingly blurred.
    — Victoria Usher, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of blur
Verb
  • That smothering defense flustered the Valkyries into committing 19 turnovers that led to 24 points for Atlanta.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Milwaukee tends to fluster opponents by dictating the action in a way no other offense does.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of fluster

Browse Nearby Words

confronts
confuse
confused
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Cite this Entry

“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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